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Gods and Deities
Though a host of minor deities and demi-gods exist in religion across Etrallia, only two legitimate Gods in recorded history have ever been worshiped: Vankor and Sylvia. Oclanders have always sacrificed to the Enosichthon and Thul'Ur, but they do not worship them as gods. Instead, the Oclanders worship the sun and their ancestors, but neither are considered gods. Similarly, the Attendants do not believe the Living Lord to be a god, but a messenger of a higher power, often interpreted to be a wrathful Sylvia. Vankor "Lo, behold the wrath of the Dragon who is God, he who strikes fear into the hearts of wicked men who suppress his truth and brings courage to those who delight in him." - Monastic Text V5.IV, "On the ruination of Anamera" God of man and fire, Vankor is the embodiment of wrath and judgement. A strict and unforgiving God, Vankor rules with an iron fist and a lust for vengeance. Most humans, halflings, tieflings, and dragonborn follow the teachings of Vankor in some way or another. Despite his depiction as particularly wrathful, his followers are not known to be particularly more violent than any other religion. Vankor is responsible for the creation of the Vankling races and much of the world alongside Sylvia. Vankor, unsatisfied with their creation, began to destroy Etrallia at some point in the distant past, beginning with absolutely destroying Anamera with fire, making it uninhabitable and inhospitable. Sylvia stopped him by becoming one with the planet, convincing her lover to stop destroying it. This event had the unintended consequence of introducing magic to the world. As such, Vanklings are wary of magic but are not opposed to it. Vanklings are often characterized by an intense hatred for Argyrophobic Creatures, a category that includes most undead and several monsters. Werewolves in particular are seen as a particularly potent evil. Notable Vankling institutions include: all four Witchhunter Disciplines, the Bishopric of Westerfield, the Order of the Shield, and the Knights of Mt. Vankor. Sylvia Sylvia is, in the modern era, a goddess of nature, beauty, and creation. She is the peaceful counterpart to her wrathful lover, Vankor. She is depicted as a beautiful Dryadess. Sylvia is the patron goddess of most elves, dwarves, and gnomes. Sylvia is the creator of the Sylvian races and jointly created Etrallia alongside Vankor. The two ruled the world and interacted with it for a time until Vankor began to destroy it and Sylvia stopped him by merging herself with the planet according to legend. As a result, creatures of the world were able to tap into Sylvia's energy and magic was born. Most Yotheshi are followers of Sylvia, with many Midlanders and westerners also devoting themselves to the nature goddess. The center of Sylvia worship across Etrallia is the lush forest of Green Grotto in Yothesh. Sylvian monastic orders exist across the continent, filled with monks devoted to protecting the planet that is their goddess. The Attendants also worship Sylvia, but have a much different image of her. They insist that the teaching of Sylvian monks are corrupted, and that the true Sylvia is angry and upset with the world. According to the Prophet, the Living Lord is the incarnation of Sylvia's wrath and the manifestation of an angered mother nature. Enosichthon and Thul'Ur Though the Oclanders do not worship Krakens as gods, they do sacrifice to them and fear them in a way not unlike mainlanders fear their gods. The two Krakens believed to exist by the Oclanders are called Enosichthon and Thul'Ur. The former is often called the Patron of the Islands for his connection to the Oclus islands and the Oclander belief that Enosichthon lives in the gulf of Oclus. Thul'Ur, however, is a vastly undefined character. He is believed by the Oclanders to live in the ocean west of Whent, and they view him as the guardian of the edge of the world. No one has ever returned from a journey to the west, and thus it is believed that Thul'Ur will not let anyone pass his ocean. While Enosichthon is viewed as an inconvenience, Thul'Ur is believed to be inherently evil and vile. Thul'Ur strikes fear into the hearts of the Oclanders. Enosichthon is depicted in Oclander history as a massive, red, octopus-like creature with a penchant fro destroying ships and consuming their passengers. He is no larger than a large battleship in any depiction. Thul'Ur, on the other hand, is revered as a beast of unbelievable size. Some tales recall Thul'Ur to be as big as a city or even one of the Outer Islands in Oclus. In addition, the kraken's skin is black instead of red according to legend. While many have claimed to have spotted Enosichthon, no one has ever survived an encounter with Thul'Ur. The Minor Gods While Vankor and Sylvia are the only two seemingly omnipotent beings in Etrallian legends, there are countless sub-gods in their service and even sub-gods that exist to serve their own ends. None of these beings match the two Gods in power, but many have abilities not present in any of the sentient species on Etrallia. = Category:Lore